This invention relates to ice machines, and in particular to an internally contained, wall mounted, dual plane cubed ice-making machine.
The current design relates to a field of icemakers in which the evaporator unit is mounted in a common chassis along with the compressor and condenser components. This embodiment is widely known in the field of the prior art as xe2x80x9cself-contained.xe2x80x9d
In most conventional designs, the condenser, compressor, evaporator, and all necessary components are located within a single module, typically on a single plane supported by an ice bin.
The current design features many advantages over the prior art. It is easier to keep clean in that it is flush with the wall so that there is no need to clean between the unit and the wall; and it is positioned off the ground so it is easy to clean underneath the unit.
The preferred embodiment employs a dual plane mounting system in order to decrease the distance the machine and bin protrudes from the wall. This feature reduces floor space requirements, and the reduced width of the unit helps contribute to compliance with the American Disabilities Act by allowing for increased hall width for wheel chairs.
The invention also moves the internal components toward the front access panel to contribute to ease of repair. It is also adaptable in order to fit most desired applications.
The invention provides the capability to use multiple ice bins which allows for continued operation and to build a reserve of ice for peak operation.
During the ice production stage, the machine transfers a refrigerant gas from the compressor unit to the evaporator unit. Upon expansion of the compressed gas, the evaporator unit is cooled below freezing. Water is then run over or sprayed onto the ice-forming evaporator plate to form ice. When an adequate or predetermined amount of ice has been produced, a xe2x80x9ccubed icexe2x80x9d machine is switched to an ice harvest mode by any of several means of detection. At this time, the evaporator is warmed slightly so that the frozen ice will thaw on the bottom and fall off of the evaporator plate into an ice collection bin. To accomplish this warming, a hot refrigerant gas is typically routed from the compressor straight to the evaporator, bypassing the condenser.
In alternate remote condenser embodiments, the condenser is located remote from the rest of the unit. In other remote condenser unit embodiments, both the condenser and the compressor are located remotely. These configurations permit heat to be released remotely, thereby increasing efficiency and eliminating heat gain in an occupied space. In these embodiments, the evaporator alone is smaller than the evaporator and condenser combined, thereby saving space and locating only the necessary components at the location at which the ice is needed. While the single unit configuration is economical in terms of cost, installation, and service, the lower heat generation and the reduced space requirement make the remote configurations popular for some applications.
The current invention provides materials cost savings for the remote configurations. The current art merely removes the condenser fans and condenser coil from the embodiment, and relocates those components outside of the local unit. In order to seal the unit at the location of the removed condenser coil, however, additional material must be utilized to cover the resulting gap or hole in the embodiment, resulting in an increased cost for the additional material. The current invention requires less material for the remote configurations by permitting less material requirement at the second or top level of the embodiment. The elimination of all or a portion of a second level support permits lower material costs and lower manufacturing labor costs.
The current invention also permits lighter gauge steel to be employed for structural support. The present art employs a base upon which all components are arranged on the single plane. The prior art base plate is typically of a strong material such as steel or plastic of any of several materials with a substantial thickness in order to support the weight of the compressor, which may be the most massive of the components, sometimes weighing up to 80 pounds. The smaller footprint of the new design requires less base plate material. Since the base is typically manufactured of xe2x85x9xe2x80x3 steel, while the housing and second level supports may be produced using 22-gauge sheet metal, a substantial cost reduction can be achieved, thereby permitting lower unit cost.
A disadvantage of the prior art is that it is difficult to maintain proper sanitation in the area between the back of a machine and a wall. This is because the machine is supported entirely by the ice bin and the electrical, water, and drain connections make it impractical or impossible to move the entire assembly to gain access. The current design is innovative in that the ice bin does not support the machine and may be easily moved to permit cleaning beneath the ice-making unit.
Another disadvantage of the prior art is that the unit typically located several inches away from the wall to allow for utility connections, and airflow for the self-contained condenser. This results in wasted floor space and an area difficult to clean and service. The fact that the current embodiment is mounted flush onto the wall and that the ice bin can be removed alleviates these problems.
The current invention also allows the internal components to be rearranged on the mounting panel. The flexibility permits the fan to be placed on either side of the machine so that the machine can be adapted to fit in either corner of a room. This lack of this versatility is a major drawback to the prior art.
The prior art includes small, Wall-mounted nugget ice dispensers such as Follet Corporation""s model numbers H25T5A/W and H50T5A/W, for 25 and 50 pound dispensers. These machines are xe2x80x9cpoint of usexe2x80x9d machines, whereby a customer can dispense ice directly into a cup. These machines reduce the cost of labor required to refill the storage bin manually. The machines have relatively small storage bins. Inherent in the xe2x80x9cpoint of usexe2x80x9d design is the lack of a storage bin, mobile or otherwise. In these devices the ice maker itself is of single plane design and may be permanently attached to a small xe2x80x9chopper.xe2x80x9d An object of the present invention is to provide a dual-plane ice maker design suitable for both large and small applications.
The prior art utilizes portable ice bins or containers, and the batch filling of such ice bins. Examples include ice transport systems manufactured by the Follett such as the xe2x80x9cIce-DevIcexe2x80x9d and ITS (ice transport system) products. These products consist of a large ice storage bin or hopper of capacities in the range of 700 to 3,250 pounds of ice. The hopper is supported on legs above the floor surface, allowing a portable ice container to be rolled or placed under the hopper, and then allow a xe2x80x9cbatchxe2x80x9d of ice to be dumped into the portable container. In these applications, the ice-maker is fixed to the top of the storage bin is not movable. An object of the current invention is to provide economical ice-making machines in a variety of capacities. Another objective of the current invention is to provide a more flexible and portable ice-making machine.
Ice making machines are well known in their prior embodiment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,393 issued on May 19, 1998 to Manitowoc Foodservice Group, Inc, an automatic ice making machine is disclosed having a coolant/refrigerant system, a water system, a cleaning/sterilizing system and a microprocessor operated control system interconnecting the above systems. Methods for automatically cleaning the water and ice systems and establishing safeguards and monitoring of system readiness and operation are also provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,723 issued Aug. 4, 1998 to Manitowoc Foodservice Group, Inc. a remote ice-making machine is disclosed having a compressor unit remote from an evaporator unit, a supply line for transferring refrigerant from the compressor unit to the remote evaporator unit, and a return line for returning refrigerant from the evaporator unit to the compressor unit during an ice-making mode. In the current invention, the compressor unit may be located remotely from the ice-making machine. The preferred evaporator unit has an ice-forming evaporator and a heating unit, as well as a valve for controlling the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator unit.
A major drawback to the prior art machines is that their single plane attachment plate makes access to rear components difficult. Another object of the current invention is to improve access to the machine components during service and installation. A major drawback to the prior art machines is that their single plane attachment plate makes access to rear components difficult.
The preferred embodiment of the current invention is a wall mounted, internally contained, dual plane ice making machine. This machine is intended to save space, and facilitate proper sanitation while producing ice efficiently and economically.